If you’re keen on big wild trout I think you’ll enjoy the video interviews that Diamondback recently published.

They feature Joe Goodspeed, the rod designer behind many amazing rods. His attention to detail as a materials specialist and avid angler makes for a unique perspective.

Joe is known for hunting big fish. In the above video he talks about “drift nymphing” to dupe them. He talks about his rig and the importance of using flies that glide down and look natural to wise trout—and are light enough so that they move in the currents to where a big fish will be holding.

I have 1% of Joe’s knowledge. I’ve written in the past about “vertical drag” and how a nymph that immediately goes to the bottom can look unnatural. Flies that get into the strike zone quickly certainly have their place. But a fly that glides down, such as lightly weighted streamers and Mops at certain times of the year, can rope it in.

Joe’s stealthy approach, coupled with flies with the right sink rate at the more quiet waters where big fish normally hold, seems pretty cool. I will be doing my best to attempt it this spring. I will look for “spill points” as Joe described below.